Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica — still best-known for his 1985 and 1995 Palme d’Or winners When Father Was Away on Business and Underground, respectively — has had a somewhat quiet involvement with cinema these past few years, only as of late filming his first feature since 2007’s Promise Me This. But, with the Monica Bellucci-led Milky Road apparently underway, word has emerged of yet another developing title, one of a likely altogether different accord: THR say he’s been in contact with Uruguayan President Jose “Pepe” Mujica, for whom Kusturica will being filming a documentary, tentatively titled The President of the People, this December, coinciding with a visit to the United States.
Called, by some, “the world’s poorest president,” Mujica has been a much-admired figure for his progressive social policies — THR note his advanced abortion and gay marriage policies, as well as a legalization of marijuana — but brings with him a history worthy of documentation, given time spent engaging in guerrilla warfare; subsequent imprisonment, escape, and recapture; and eventual emergence some fourteen years later. Adding some recent push for Nobel Peace Prize consideration, Kusturica‘s topic is both rich and timely, factors that would, themselves, account for this project’s formation: according to ABC, involvement has stemmed from the director being “attracted to Mujica‘s humble ways and political integrity.” By all means, the combination of a high-profile leader and politically inclined filmmaker should create some sparks.
What do you make of Kusturica’s next push? Have you been hoping to see more from the man in recent years?